How UEA is shaping my writing

Celeste Ellis discusses her experience of UEA's Master's in Creative Writing course. She explores how it's changing her writing, the influence of her expert lecturers, and her plans for the future.

Why did you decide to study Creative Writing at UEA?

In late October 2024, as I sat down to research postgraduate options, I discovered that only a few days before, UEA had launched its new MA Creative Writing course. In reading through the course description, I knew immediately that it was perfect for me. I was excited to develop my existing writing practices within one of the best Creative Writing departments in the UK, and also to experiment with unfamiliar forms and genres.

How has your experience of the course been so far?

I am now halfway through my Master's, and so far, this course has exceeded my expectations. It’s helped me to grow as a writer and as a person. Prior to studying at UEA, I had two main strands to my creative work: writing novels and performing as a singer-songwriter. This new Master's course has helped me to gain confidence in the varied areas of my creative practice, both on the page and on the stage.

My novel writing practice has gained depth through experimenting with a range of genres and forms and also by making use of insightful feedback from instructors and peers during the workshop sessions. My experience has also been enhanced by engaging visits to the British Archive for Contemporary Writing, and through exploring and implementing improved research strategies.

I have been performing onstage at music festivals this summer, and I am pleased to notice an increased confidence and capability in front of an audience. I know this is directly related to the supportive and encouraging environment in Professor Steve Waters’ Creative Encounters module, where we were invited to perform our own work in front of our peers. Through this module I’ve also developed a love of scriptwriting, which has now become part of my existing practice.

From the very first welcome meeting... I’ve felt part of a supportive creative community.

I’ve come out of the first semester with a new body of work I’m really pleased with, which includes novel excerpts, short stories, scripts and songs. I’ve also had a lot of fun.

The challenges that I faced as a full-time Master's student during the first semester were not insurmountable, and they helped me to expand my comfort zone, and to gain strength and agility as a writer. I am looking forward to the second half of this course, where I will be supported to work on my dissertation, while having further opportunities to experiment with new forms, both on the page and in the digital landscape.

I’ve appreciated the unique perspectives brought by different instructors in LDC, as this has added to the breadth of my learning. Amidst their differing approaches, I’ve felt that all the instructors I’ve worked with have had my best interest at heart and are there because they believe in what they are doing. From the very first welcome meeting with Dr Iain Robinson and the other members of staff, I’ve felt part of a supportive creative community.

The MA Creative Writing allows you to work across forms and genres. How has that benefited your writing so far?

The structure I’ve encountered in both modules has worked very well for me. In both cases, the instructors chose interesting and varied examples of the genres and forms we were exploring. We read and discussed each example, and tried our own writing in that form. We were then invited to share our work with each other in a supportive and encouraging setting.

I had the opportunity to try out genres and forms that were new to me, some of which have now become integrated into my creative practice. For example, in the Creative Writing Genres module, we looked at nature and place writing. I discovered a love for this genre, and an emerging skill that I am keen to hone further. As a result, I've gone on to write several more nature-based creative non-fiction pieces.

The course also lets you explore writing in the digital world. In what ways do you think this will help you develop as a writer?

I love that there is a digital writing component to this course. In the past, I have experienced both excitement and apprehension about the development of technology and how a creative writer can best work within the rapidly changing digital world. I am looking forward to learning about the newest online opportunities for writers, while gaining insight from established authors about how to best navigate the creative challenges posed by AI. I am keen to try my own writing for digital platforms, while being supported to develop new web-based skills.

What are your plans for when you finish the course?

After my Master's, I have several projects I am enthusiastic about pursuing. I am also open to whatever ideas might come up as a result of the second semester modules.

Firstly, the novel I’ve been working on for my dissertation, The Bee Whisperer, is a story that’s dear to my heart. With support and encouragement from the staff at UEA, I am hopeful that it will find representation with a literary agent who can help me find the right publishing deal. Thanks to the agent and publisher events held earlier this year by the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, I’ve already made contacts with a couple of like-minded agents who have invited me to submit my manuscript to them.

Through discovering a joy in nature and place writing, I intend to write a series of narrative non-fiction pieces, which I will submit to literary magazines and anthologies like Hinterland. I was pleased to meet the editors of this magazine when I attended a nature and place event at UEA earlier this year.

I also hope to maintain an ongoing relationship with UEA, so that I may remain in contact with some of the wonderful people – both staff and students – that I’ve met so far.

Another idea I would like to pursue involves theatre performance. For my Creative Encounters module, I wrote a verbatim script with words and music, based around ideas of hope for the future. I have since developed this piece into an interactive solo play that weaves together monologues and acoustic songs. After the course finishes, I would like to apply for funding – with help from others I’ve met on the course – to develop and perform this show in small venues around the UK, in the style of house concerts.

Alongside my other creative projects, I also hope to maintain an ongoing relationship with UEA, so that I may remain in contact with some of the wonderful people – both staff and students – that I’ve met so far, and also so that I may support and encourage other writers to grow and develop their own creative practices.

Watch this short film to find out what it's like to study Creative Writing at UEA.